When Carolyn Jernigan first opened her Murfreesboro consignment clothing store, some of the more coveted items for women shoppers were brands like Aigner, Jordache, and Bonjour (jeans.)

I’m always on the hunt for a cheap lunch at locally owned places and it was lucky for me to discover Las Palmas, whose nine area locations all have a lunch menu featuring lots of yummy options under $10.

After two years of being a virtual event because of COVID concerns, the five-mile Boulevard Bolt will be back in person along Belle Meade Boulevard on Thanksgiving Day.

Bloom Designer Finds, the ladies’ designer consignment boutique in Hendersonville, has really “bloomed” since my first visit there.

With heating costs increasing and with months of frigid temperatures ahead of us, I think we are going to need all the help we can get to keep our gas and electric bills from overtaking our budgets.

Fifteen years ago, when I asked my readers to recommend their favorite cheap lunch spots, I first heard about the amazing Costco hotdog combo deal – an all-beef quarter-pound hot dog and a 20 ounce soda for $1.50 at the in-store wholesale club snack bar.

Did you know that the Tennessee State Museum staff offers weekday tours of the Greek Revival 170-year-old Capitol building?

There are a few thrift shops in Middle Tennessee that I like so much that I stop in anytime I am in the area.

How about a special spooky-themed “get down underground” experience at The Caverns, the Grundy County cave complex known for its lively concerts and interesting cave tours?

Fall is officially here and with it comes an array of free and affordable festivals that not only entertain but also have the potential to educate us. Here are some of the Midstate festivals to put on your fall calendar.

When I heard that DICK’s Sporting Goods had opened a big discount warehouse store in Franklin, I was very interested in writing a column about it.

You know I love a free day at area museums, and so I was glad to see that the Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day will be back this Saturday (Sept. 17), with several area attractions offering free admission.

It is hard to go into the GraceWorks Thrift Store and come out empty handed.

When Doug Haley and his partner Mike Hebert opened their wallpaper and home consignment store nine years ago, wallpaper was a secondary contributor to the bottom line.

With the prices of everything going up, up and up, the upcoming children’s consignment sales offer a great opportunity for savings on children’s clothes, toys, equipment and more.

Summer Shakespeare, formerly known as Shakespeare in the Park, returns this week, offering two plays at the outdoor venue Yard at oneCITY and at Academy Park in Franklin.

ZeroLandfill, the annual “upcycling” event where creatives, artists and teachers can get all kinds of cool free items to use for art, craft and learning projects, is set for Saturday.

There are lots of ways you can curb the grocery costs and save a few dollars here and there, especially this month when food and food ingredients are exempt from sales tax as part of the Tennessee Tax Holidays.

It is time to get ready to enjoy the Tennessee Tax Holiday savings.

Thanks to so many generous people and organizations, the Ms. Cheap Penny Drive for Room in the Inn collected an unbelievable 17,469 shirts to be given away to homeless people around Middle Tennessee this summer.

Having a consignment boutique that offers “something for everyone” was Deb Pursley’s goal when she and her daughter Meg Webber opened their Green Hills-area Designer Finds ladies consignment shop 18 years ago.

Like many Middle Tennesseans, our family loves visiting the Alabama/Florida Gulf Coast for fun in the sun and on the beach.

When I was first out on my own, I wanted to do something very “adult,” like put some pretty plants in pots on my porch.

The summer calendar, which was pitifully empty the last two years because of COVID-19, is loaded with free fun.

Outdoor symphony concerts have been taking place in Nashville since the 1950s, and now, after a two-year COVID-19 hiatus, the Nashville Symphony’s popular community concert series is back with five free concerts coming up this month.

If you are planning to go to the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center’s wet and wild SoundWaves water attraction, it is smart to wait until the outdoor slides and pools are open because they offer even more water and fun at this $90 million water wonder.

The Ms. Cheap T-shirt Drive is back, with the sixth annual collection of shirts for the homeless community running from May 17 through June 6 with multiple drop-off locations across Middle Tennessee.

If you haven’t been to the Parthenon or Centennial Park lately, May offers some perfect opportunities to enjoy the history and see what’s new at this park, which is known as Nashville’s cultural and recreational centerpiece.

Lots of people believe that staying on a tight budget and eating healthy are mutually exclusive.

The Nashville Flea Market is making a comeback, albeit slower than the staff had hoped.

Beaman Park has had a spring “Wildflower Weekend” for many years, but this year, with more staff, this beautiful woodsy park has extended its planned wildflower activities to span a week — April 12-16.

Whether you are “old Nashville” or a new-to-town transplant, the Ladies of Charity consignment sales that feature gently used men’s and ladies clothing and accessories at attractive prices are good to know about.

A night at the ballpark can cost you a bundle. But if you play your cards right, a Nashville Sounds baseball outing can be downright affordable, and a big hit with family and friends.

If you have been a fan of the annual warehouse sale at the Logo Brands headquarters in Franklin, you are really going to like the one-day clearance sale coming up Saturday at the company’s warehouse.

You know it is spring — or almost spring — when Tennessee State Parks announces details of its Spring Hike Day, with hikes being offered at all of its 56 parks.

I have good news for those who want to explore the new National Museum of African American Music but don’t want to pay $24.95 to get in.

Used book sales are a wonderful way to acquire inexpensive reading material, build libraries for children, stock school libraries and classrooms, and at the same time support our public libraries with our purchases.

With so many longtime Midstate restaurants shutting down due to COVID fears, staffing challenges and rising costs of everything, it is wonderful to see a veteran business like Hendersonville’s Center Point Pit Barbecue going strong.

My favorite project of the year is the Ms. Cheap Penny Drive for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee.

If you want to see American bald eagles, Tennessee is a good place to be this time of year, with more and more eagle sighting sites at Dale Hollow, Center Hill, Radnor, Watts Bar and Pickwick lakes.

It is a new year and time to do some planning.

This is the time of year when so many of us make resolutions for the year ahead.

Shopping at ThriftSmart is always fun — looking for bargains on household goods, toys and clothing at this South Nashville thrift store. Books are also a draw since the Nolensville Road store has a particularly good, well-stocked book section.

One of my new favorite shopping destinations is Marathon Village.

Yes, the free “Tuba Christmas” concert is back in action this holiday season.

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is for my daughters and me to take the grandchildren to the lavishly decorated Gaylord Opryland complex to take advantage of all of the free things to do.

It is so exciting to see lots of our favorite holiday events coming back to life this year as in-person offerings.

As Annette and Mark McCreedy prepare for Christmas gift giving for their family, they don’t have to worry about the pesky supply chain woes that are haunting Christmas shoppers and so much of the retail world.

With the holidays just around the corner and entertaining (almost) back in vogue, buying wine may be on your to-do list.